


Girl Stuff

by SnarkyLlama



Category: Britney Spears (Musician), NSYNC
Genre: Crossdressing, Crush, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-05
Updated: 2010-03-05
Packaged: 2017-10-07 18:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnarkyLlama/pseuds/SnarkyLlama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Justin's momma didn't have to do anything for Britney to find her fascinating.  And later, Britney thinks she knows his momma's secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl Stuff

** _lipstick_ **

No two ways about it, Justin Timberlake was a funny-looking kid.

In his defense, though, he was a boy, and twelve-year-old boys didn't come in any variety other than funny-looking. Seriously, Britney didn't see what the fuss was all about. Like, for real? If Britney were in the audience--which, thank God, she wasn't. That would totally suck. Having to sit still and watch other kids dance and have fun and stuff? Wasn't that like... punishment?

Yeah, it had to be, because that was pretty much what they'd done when Jo Beth's little sister went through that phase where she kept taking her diaper off in public. "Time out" or something--or was that only for basketball? No. That was right, 'cause her momma would always say, "Woman, time out ain't doing a damn thing," whenever Jo Beth's momma started hollering, "You get your clothes on!" And Gram would look over at the neighbors' yard and say something about not taking 'em off until they'd pay you for it.

Well, anyway, if Britney were in the audience, she wouldn't scream for any of the boys-- except for maybe Tony and he was like way old.

Britney's momma didn't see things that way, though. She thought Justin was a cata... a catalisp? Something. She thought Justin was going to make things happen. The cameras loved the two of them together, and "those Disney people better get their heads out of their asses" and pair Britney up with him as much as possible.

Whatever.

Britney didn't mind. He was a nice enough kid, you know, for a total goober. And it wasn't like she had much choice, 'cause Lord, look at them all. Dale? JC? Matt? Goobers, the whole lot of 'em. And she wasn't even going to think about Terri and Fred 'cause... yikes! She was going to be way cooler than that when she was grown up.

But really, she wouldn't have paid Justin much attention if it weren't for his mother, Ms. Harless.

Ms. _Lynn_ Harless.

God, wasn't that neat to say? Just the sound of it?

No, go on. Say it.

_Ms. Lynn Harless._

It rolls off your tongue and makes you want to say it again, doesn't it?

Yeah, that's okay. We understand.

It's fun to write, too. Britney filled the backs of three notebooks with it, and that was before she got a glitter pen--there'll be no stopping her now.

Hey, don't look like that. It doesn't mean anything. It's not like _that_. Ms. Harless is just special.

And Britney had to write it that many times, you know. She did. It was hard deciding whether "Lynn, no E" was, in fact, prettier than "Lynne with an E." No, really. It was. _Lynn_ totally won, but _Lynne_ was backed by family tradition and put up quite a fight--

Oh. ... You're right. Let's just skip ahead to the special bits.

Justin's momma was always around, but Britney was busy learning how to be a Mouseketeer, so she didn't really notice until the second week when she was late to lunch. Christina--the traitor--hadn't saved her a spot, and Britney had to go find another table. And there was an empty chair, and seated right next to it, was Justin and his mother. She was leaning towards him while he whispered something in her ear, and then she laughed and then... then she _looked_ at Justin, and an icy-hot spear of jealousy pinned Britney to the spot.

Justin's momma looked at him like he was the most amazing thing ever, and it wasn't that money-in-the-bank look--Britney was an expert at spotting that one. It was something new. Something different. Something Britney had never seen before.

She looked at Justin like he was exciting and interesting and well... just about everything you'd ever wanted. She looked at him like... he was an all-you-can-eat catfish dinner with Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Dale Earnhardt, and Elvis.

Well... perhaps that was an exaggeration, but not much of one. Say Mr. Earnhardt couldn't make it and some minor NASCAR person came in his place, and say they ran out of hot sauce halfway through dinner. While not perfect, it would still be pretty amazing and, come on, Justin just wasn't all that. Justin was fish sticks and go karts and maybe some celebrity impersonators. Fun, but still rather ordinary.

There was something wrong with the world if Justin got looks like that and Britney didn't.

And Britney wasn't stupid. It didn't take much figuring to know that if the people who _should_ have been looking at her like that _hadn't_ looked at her like that by now, well then... she was going to have to get it from someone else. And Britney knew just who she wanted it from.

She was prettier and more talented than Justin, and Ms. Harless was going to look at her with that exact same sparkle of amazement. Britney would make it happen.

So she sat down next to Justin and immediately started her campaign to impress his momma.

At first, she thought of herself as kinda like Harriet the Spy. When Britney wasn't singing or dancing or getting lessons, she was being stealthy, watching and biding her time, learning her target.

Ms. Harless made it easy. She was a genuinely nice person and it wasn't long at all before she was inviting the younger cast members over to play with Justin on their days off. They'd go for mini golf or get out the Slip'n'Slide and have a barbecue in the back yard.

Britney loved it over there. There'd be burgers and tons of salads: big bowls of mac &amp; cheese and potato salad--real potato salad, the kind with mustard, not that other kind--and coleslaw and tuna macaroni and that green Jell-O stuff with the pineapple and the marshmallow fluff. If they met, Gram would call Ms. Harless a real Southern lady--even though Tennessee wasn't the real South--because she understood that lettuce didn't have anything to do with a proper salad.

Britney wasn't allowed to eat all that. She was allowed to talk about food, her New York people said, because America loves a girl with a healthy appetite, but only if that girl was skinny. And then they'd look at Britney like they could see inside her and it only took a glance to know that she was prone to fat.

But Britney ate plenty when she was at Justin's because one of the most awesome things about Ms. Harless was that Britney's momma trusted her and was happy to just drop Britney off and leave her there.

It was great having extra time to work on her special mission, but Britney began to lose focus. She didn't notice it happening, it just did. Time spent watching for things that intrigued Ms. Harless turned into hours spent watching _her_.

And Justin's momma didn't have to do anything for Britney to find her fascinating.

First, there was her hair. Ms. Harless' hair was curly like crazy. Britney liked to look at it. Sometimes, her mind would drift in the middle of her school work and she'd end up drawing curls in the margins of her notebook, thinking about them.

Back in Kenton, one of the neighbors had had a little dog like Miss Piggy's--a stupid little rag mop of a dog that all the kids laughed at, but Britney had always secretly liked. She'd go over sometimes just to pet it. She had loved to pet it. Its moppy white curls were meant for touching. She'd tangle her fingers in them, and they clung to her like they didn't want to let her go, and they were so soft and springy that she had never really wanted to stop playing with them.

Britney was sure Ms. Harless' curls would be the same, only better.

Then, there was her favorite blue dress. It was a powder-blue sheath and maybe it didn't fit quite right? But Justin's momma wore it a lot. And well... it clung a bit.

Ms. Harless would stand a certain way and the light would hit her just so, and there would be this shadow, this slight shadow that curved under her belly and hinted at her thighs. Britney lost endless minutes studying that shadow and wondering if she was imagining things.

Was that gentle curve simply Ms. Harless' belly or was that... No. She couldn't be pregnant. That was unthinkable. But Britney would still stare, lost in thought, until her own tummy started to feel all weird. That would bring her back to herself, and she'd go do whatever she was supposed to be doing.

And then there was the rest of Ms. Harless' figure. She looked like she'd be super comfortable to nap on. Britney wondered if Justin got to do that, if he got to snuggle up against her and rest his head on her chest. Britney didn't like how that made her feel, not at all.

She was too old now for taking naps with her momma, but she had used to. It was one of the best things in the world, feeling all safe and warm and pressing your ear to your momma's heartbeat. She missed it and she thought, just maybe, even though Justin was older than her and definitely too old for such things, that his momma was maybe nice enough to ignore all that. She'd say something like, "You're never too old to love your momma," and wrap ~~Brit~~ Justin up in her arms.

But out of all the fascinating things about Ms. Lynn Harless, it was her lips that lead to the first real breakthrough in Britney's secret mission.

Ms. Harless' lips were never lip-colored.

Lips were supposed to be pink or maybe red, but oh, not Justin's momma's lips. No. They were always something different and special.

Sometimes they were pale and shimmering like she was the Frost Queen or... or like she'd been eating ice cream so slowly it had turned her lips into something frozen, but sweet-looking, and maybe someone needed to lick them just... just to make sure they were still okay. And sometimes they were dark and shiny in colors Britney couldn't name, colors that somehow reminded her of church bake sales. Yeah. Sometimes Ms. Harless' lips were just like a pie that had been in the oven a tad too long. They'd be warm and sweet and maybe sticky and...

Well, the most remarkable thing about Ms. Harless' lips was that they always somehow made Britney's belly feel hollow inside. They made her hungry, and Britney was maybe ever so slightly obsessed with them.

Obsession leads to risks.

If Justin's momma left her purse unattended, Britney would sometimes sneak in a quick dig through it. She allowed herself only enough time to find her lipstick and note the label on the bottom of the tube, but that was enough. Then she knew when Ms. Harless' lips were Mad for Mauve and when they were Cinnamon Spice. Knowledge was power.

Once, she had enough time to slick her own lips with Rhubarb Blizzard. It made her shiver with excitement, although she was disappointed to discover that it wasn't flavored.

That success made her more adventurous.

The next time she was at Justin's, Britney skipped the half-bath for guests and slipped into the family's bathroom. The drawers and cabinets there were a treasure trove. She found his momma's makeup and picked out a shiny gold tube.

_Beach Plum_, its little label read. What was up with that? Plums weren't fun. They didn't go to the beach. Her dad said plums were the same as prunes, and Britney had never heard of anyone serving prune juice at a pool party. Well... maybe she'd understand once she put it on.

She was leaning towards the mirror when Justin walked in.

"What are you doing?"

"Geez, haven't you heard of personal privacy? Go away."

The trick was to act like she wasn't doing anything wrong, and she was really proud of how she didn't sound like her heart was busy leaping out of her chest.

"It's not like you're doing anything private," Justin said.

"Well, maybe I was about to!"

Justin just stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at her.

"What, you want to watch?"

Justin shrugged.

"It is my bathroom."

"Fine!" She whirled back around to the mirror and opened the tube of lipstick.

"Oh," he said. "What are you doing that for?"

"Because I want to, that's why."

"You should stick to lip gloss."

God, what an annoying boy!

"What do you know about it?"

"Lip gloss is better."

"Whatever," Britney said. "I'm the girl, so I think I know a whole lot more 'bout these things than you do."

"But I've kissed girls."

"As if."

"I have! And it's nicer to kiss girls wearing lip gloss than girls wearing lipstick."

"Whatever." Britney rolled her eyes at his reflection. Was he ever going to go away?

"Want me to show you?" he asked.

Britney blinked. Show her what? This had better not be one of those 'I'll show you mine, if...' things. She'd been warned about those.

"Here."

Justin tapped her shoulder, turned her around, and took the lipstick from her.

"Hey! That's--"

He twisted the tube and painted his lips.

"--mine..."

Britney's voice trailed off as she stared.

Justin was still a funny-looking kid. Nothing could change that. But he was a funny-looking kid with his momma's lips.

Britney licked her own lips.

"Um..."

His lips really did look just like his momma's... and he wasn't much taller than Britney... so it was like his momma's lips were really, incredibly close to Britney's... and...

Britney closed her eyes tight and kissed him.

Later that night, in her own bedroom, Britney pulled the tube of Beach Plum out of her pocket and tucked it safely away in the secret compartment of her jewelry box. She'd never kissed anyone before, not like that. It had been kinda weird, but not in a bad way. She thought, just maybe, she might want to do it again sometime. Not with Justin, though. He was, after all, still a goober.

But... he was more fun than she'd given him credit for... and he was nice enough for a boy... and his lips...

Four days later--after Britney had kissed him twice more--Justin told his mother. Ms. Harless had a twinkle in her eye every time she smiled at Britney after that. It was a small victory, but Britney bubbled over with excitement. She bounced around with extra energy all day and made plans to kiss Justin more often in the future.

** _panties_ **

Justin sent Britney postcards after the show ended. He wrote her so often that she kept thinking she now had a copy of every Graceland postcard ever printed, and then another would arrive. She also thought that he had lied about kissing all those other girls and he thought she was his girlfriend or something.

Or maybe he sent so many cards because she was the only one who ever wrote him back.

It didn't mean anything. It was just the polite thing to do.

Besides, she had tons of cute stationary and needed an excuse to use it. She had loved pretty paper when she was younger. Every time she saw a really cute set, she'd ask for it even though she had no one to write to and nothing to say. So now was her chance, and she sent Justin such pretty letters that she had to stop and admire them before sealing the envelope. The paper and the envelope always matched, and she was really good at choosing a pen with coordinating ink.

She sent letters decorated with birds and flowers, musical notes and rainbows, sail boats and stars, but she knew better than to use the unicorn paper. She kept one piece of that and threw the rest away. She wrote big and tried to ignore that she was obviously doing it wrong because every set came with like twelve pieces of paper and six envelopes. She never had more than one page of stuff to say.

Her mother was happy to give her stamps. She'd smile and tell Britney she was a smart girl every time Britney came to her with another envelope addressed to Justin.

And then the postcards started coming from Orlando.

Justin was so excited, and Britney tried really hard to be happy for him and not bitterly jealous. She was putting her good face on every day, but God, it wasn't fair! And going to school and being normal was so boring. How did normal people stand it? She'd go absolutely batty if she had to keep this up much longer.

Her parents told her that it was only a matter of time, and her New York people said things would change any day now. So, she tucked his postcards away and signed her letters with smiley faces, and wished she were Justin and sat at her vanity for hours staring at the snapshot of Justin and his momma stuck in the mirror's frame.

And then Justin actually called her because 'N Sync and Ms. Harless were going to Europe. _But you can't,_ she wanted to say. _She can't._

Instead, she begged and pleaded and got to fly to Orlando so she could wish them luck in person.

She almost cried when Ms. Harless met her at the airport. She looked the same as ever and Britney had missed her so much. It was like seeing her again made all that time spent missing her even more real. Then Ms. Harless hugged her and exclaimed over how tall she was now and insisted that Britney call her "Lynn." And Britney hugged her tightly in return and maybe cried just a little bit after all.

Lynn took her home, and Britney met Chris and nodded at JC and stared at Justin 'cause... whoa.

Justin had grown. A lot. And yeah, that wasn't a total surprise because Britney had grown, too, and was like all mature and stuff now. But Justin looked... different. His hair was shorter and the curls were tighter--just like Lynn's. And his face... it was... well... he didn't look so much like a mini game-show host now.

She stared at him, then looked at Lynn and figured it out: he looked like his mother now. There'd always been a resemblance--the hair, the eyes, the lips--but now there was even more. He was almost cute.

Later, she was introduced to the other boys, Joey and Lance. And then a huge group of excited boys and their families went out to dinner. It was chaotic and noisy, and Lord knows what any of them thought of Britney, because she simply couldn't tear her eyes away from Justin and Lynn.

That night, Lynn made up the couch and JC offered to give up his bed and sleep on the couch in Britney's place.

Lynn smiled approvingly.

"I knew I could count on you to be a gentleman, JC."

JC ducked his head like he was shy or something, and Chris called him a suck-up and Justin laughed. Britney thanked JC and hoped that the sheets on his bed were clean. She didn't really believe in cooties, but you could never be too careful.

The boys had to leave after breakfast. Britney helped Lynn clean up, then went into the living room and saw that JC had folded all of the bed linens and left them in a neat pile. He was strangely tidy for boy.

Lynn explained that the boys still had rehearsals every day even though they were leaving the next morning. She apologized, saying it was too bad Britney had come all this way and wasn't getting to see much of Justin at all.

"That's okay," Britney said. "I like you, too."

Lynn laughed.

"Oh, you're a sweet girl, Britney Jean."

Britney went with her while she ran errands, and between the post office and Wal-Mart and the grocery store, Lynn asked her questions. Britney had never had such a chance to talk to Lynn. She told her about auditions and her friends back home and normal school, and Lynn nodded and laughed in all the right places like she was really listening. It was great.

After lunch, Lynn excused herself so she could finish packing. Britney wasn't ready to let her go yet, so she offered to help. That's how she learned that Lynn Harless owned the prettiest sturdy underwear that she had ever seen.

Really.

Lynn wasn't fat--she was totally normal-sized--but there was twice the amount of material in her under things than Britney thought there was supposed to be. They certainly weren't anything like Britney's own tiny pink and white scraps of plain cotton or like the complicated bits of Victoria's Secret strings and floss that Britney thought grown women wore.

But they were awfully pretty. They were all in matched sets and so colorful. There were bright splashes of flowers on silk, and lacey things in coral and lilac, and satin in jewel-like teal and periwinkle, and a soft, soft buttery yellow.

Lynn muttered something and Britney drew her hands away from the tempting piles of fabric.

"What?" Britney asked.

"Do you see the bra that goes with this one?" Lynn held up the teal panties.

Britney looked around and shook her head.

"Darn," Lynn said and set the panties aside. "I know I'm just being silly, but I bought all new underwear." She laughed. "They're probably giving you the wrong impression of married life, but I couldn't bear the thought of some Customs officer pawing through all my old, married-lady underwear."

"You're not an old married lady."

Lynn laughed again.

"Oh, sugar, I so am, but don't you worry about it. Justin keeps me young."

"But I thought... my mother says having children ages you."

"Hmm. Well..." Lynn looked like she'd bit into a lemon for a second. "Perhaps it ages some people, but Justin--don't you repeat this, all right?"

A secret?

Britney nodded. She wanted to share secrets with Lynn.

"Good." Lynn smiled at her and then reached out and smoothed back Britney's hair. "Just between us girls, Justin's not really a child. You know how people have inner children?"

Britney nodded again. She'd heard of them, though she didn't really get it. There weren't any other people inside of her.

"Justin's inner child is a little, white-haired, old man." Lynn folded a blouse and smiled down at it fondly. "You know the type? All they want is their slippers and their La-Z-Boy and dinner in front of _Wheel of Fortune_ every night."

"That doesn't sound like--"

"Oh," Lynn said, "he's in there. When Justin's really tired or sick or when things aren't going quite right... Well, maybe it takes a mother to know. But it keeps me girly 'cause I have to balance out his inner grandpa. And I like it that way. It's better than me being an old lady, right?"

Britney agreed, and then there was a sound like a herd of elephants stampeding.

The boys were back and chasing each other. JC was running and giggling madly, Justin was shouting "Give it back!", and Chris was... imitating a monkey? Lynn went out to deal with them, and Britney scooped up the teal panties before she could think about it and shoved them into her pocket.

She had to return home that night because her parents had said she'd be in the way if she stayed longer. Justin caught a moment alone with her before dinner and, wow, Britney hadn't realized that kisses could make your lips tingle like that. No wonder people liked it. She would have let him kiss her more, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't right to, not when she had a stolen pair of his momma's panties in her pocket.

After dinner, Joey's mother and father came to take her to the airport. Going through security gave Britney another moment of panic. Who knew how that detector thing worked? What if it knew what she was carrying?

Somehow, she made it home safely with her secret. The panties went into the bottom drawer of her vanity table, under the jewelry box with her precious Lynn lipstick. She could take them out and look at them whenever she wanted, but she needed something more.

The next time Britney went to the mall, she picked up a copy of the JC Penney catalog.

"What's that for?" Fe asked. "We're right here if you need anything."

Britney shrugged.

"I don't know. Guess I'm just curious."

"Whatever. I'm not going to lug that thing around."

"Don't worry about it," Britney said. "I think I can handle--" She hefted the catalog in one hand. "--oh, what? Three pounds? Five?"

"It's all yours," Fe said and dragged her off to look at shoes.

Britney didn't open it up till she got home. She didn't even know if she'd find what she was looking for, but she had a hunch...

Yes.

Sure enough, there was a model wearing one of Lynn's bra-and-panties sets.

Britney carefully folded down the corner of the facing page. She wanted to keep the right page pristine.

She read the little advertising blurb about the panties and then checked the size information. Hmm... How much difference was there between Women's sizes and Juniors' sizes? 'Cause they might fit...

Britney turned the page and gasped.

Oh my God. How perfect.

One of the models had crazy curls just like Lynn's. She didn't look a thing like Lynn otherwise, but she didn't really need to, did she?

Not when she was wearing Lynn's periwinkle panties.

No, not at all.

That catalog page went into the bottom drawer of the vanity as well.

Britney snuck off while Fe was trying on jeans the next time they were at the mall. For once, she was glad Fe was fussy, because it gave her plenty of time to track down that periwinkle lingerie set.

They weren't for normal wear. They were just for special times.

She'd get another postcard from some place she couldn't pronounce, and she couldn't even write back because Lynn and Justin were always moving on to the next place. But she could wait and put on the special bra and panties that night.

She'd sit in front of the mirror for a while and think about Lynn and wonder if maybe she could convince her people that she should get a perm or at least go blonder. Justin looked like Lynn, and Britney could look like Lynn, too. They'd be such an attractive family.

Later, she'd slip into bed and remember how her lips had tingled the last time Justin had kissed her. And she'd touch the silky fabric a little.

She didn't touch herself. That was a sin.

But she could stroke and pet the cloth and alternate between thoughts of Justin and thoughts of Lynn. And maybe after a while, her body would be all warm and heavy, and maybe she was rubbing the fabric over a couple specific places a little too much, but it was okay. It was good.

Then she'd think of both Justin and Lynn together.

She had a favorite daydream saved for just these special nights. She imagined herself snuggled up on top of Lynn with her head pillowed comfortably on Lynn's chest. Lynn would be wearing the panties, not her, and Lynn would rub her back and pet her hair and call her beautiful. And Justin would be snuggled up right beside them, and he'd put his arm around Britney's back and kiss her till she tingled all over.

And it never took more than that before Britney's body would tense up all tight and then break apart into trembling, tingling, little pieces.

** _nail polish_ **

Things were starting to happen. Everything Britney's parents and agents had promised her was dropping into place. Sometimes she didn't have time to think at all. But that was okay--sometimes she didn't want to think. It was all good as long as there was time for nights like tonight.

'N Sync was starting to hit it big and they were right here, and she was here, and this was a really great party. And, hey, no one seemed to care that she and Justin weren't anywhere near drinking age. They could probably see how mature stardom was making them.

Britney threw her arms around Justin and kissed him, and... huh. Okay, she should probably close her eyes during kisses so she didn't get distracted by seeing things like JC leaving the party early. Then Justin planted his hands--he had such big hands--on her hips and licked her lips and he tasted all exciting and exotic like whatever it was he was drinking. Who cared if JC was going home early like a little old grandpa?

Britney sure didn't.

Much later, Britney left Justin's hotel room because she was a good girl and they never went farther than necking.

She was halfway to her room--and that took a lot of concentration because she was still a teensy bit drunk--when she saw that JC was in the hallway, too. He was leaning against a doorjamb like he couldn't stand up straight if he tried.

"JC," she said. "I thought you went to bed hours ago."

He jumped a little, knocking his head against the wall, and then blinked a few times before seeming to recognize her. Then he grinned happily. JC was a really friendly drunk.

"Hey, Little Bit. Hey."

"Hey, JC," she said again. "You left early?"

"Oh, I had partying somewhere else to do."

He winked at her. She was amazed he still had the coordination for it.

"Do you need help finding your room?"

"Oh, would you?" he said and pushed himself away from the wall. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered loudly. "I think I'm lost."

He smelled like booze and smoke and some girl's perfume. Britney shook her head and led him down to where she thought his room was. After some prodding, she managed to get his key card from him and tried the door. It didn't work. She tried a couple more doors before one opened and she shoved him through it.

"This is blackmail material," she told him.

He laughed and kissed her cheek, and Britney almost recognized the perfume lingering on his skin.

"Okay. Cool it, Hot Stuff," she said when he tried for another kiss.

She made sure the door locked behind him then slowly made her way back up the hall. When she passed the door JC had been slumped against, she laughed. It was Lynn's door. It would have been priceless if Lynn had caught him drunkenly trying his key card on her door. He might be legal, but no one wanted the mothers to see them wasted.

The next afternoon, they were all at the pool. Britney was stretched out on a lounge chair and Justin was beside her, stroking her ankle a little and laughing at the antics of Chris, Joey, and Lance. JC was napping in the chair next to them until Joey tackled Chris and knocked him into the water. Chris shrieked and retaliated, and Joey--the big doof--was standing too close to the rest of them, so Chris' splashing got them all. JC yelled at the rude awakening and then tugged his T-shirt off and used it to towel off his face and hair.

There were scratches all over his back.

Something clicked in Britney's head and she sat up, ready to say something.

God. She had to say something, right?

But then Justin hooted and laughed.

"Jesus, JC, I hope you gave that honey a whooole lot of catnip when you were done with her."

JC froze for a moment, then put a hand on his back and tried to twist around to see for himself. The other guys all came over to see what Justin was laughing about. Lance made a low, rolling purring sound while Joey laughed and smacked JC's back.

"Rarrr!" Chris said. "Go get 'em, Tiger!"

Justin nearly fell over himself he was laughing so hard.

Perhaps it was best not to say anything. It was only a suspicion. Britney didn't have proof.

The boys all hit the pool then, but Britney was too conflicted to join them.

She stared down at her nails. They were short because she kept on breaking them. It was easy to picture Lynn's nails, though. They always looked nice, all oval-shaped and perfect.

Britney felt sick.

There wasn't any reason to think Lynn had anything to do with JC's back.

But what if JC had been leaving Lynn's room last night instead of mistakenly trying to get into it?

Britney chewed on her thumbnail and thought really hard. If she said something and was wrong, Justin would be hurt and Lynn would be angry at her. If she said something and was right, Justin would be even more hurt and Lynn would be upset because her baby was hurting.

Did Justin need to know?

Maybe this was a one-time thing. He didn't need to know about anything like that. But if it was a real thing, a continuing thing... then he'd be hurt if he found out later and angry at Britney if he learned she'd known about it.

Shit.

Britney couldn't do anything, not until she gathered more information. She choked down her feelings and buried them deep, and left to invite Lynn to get a manicure with her.

Lynn's smile was huge.

"Sure, I'd love to go do girl stuff with you. I spend too much time with too many boys. Let me just get my purse."

Britney stood in the outer room of the suite and tried not to look for evidence. She wanted to know, but she didn't want to know.

Because what if she was right? There were so many ways that was going to hurt and she wasn't sure which would hurt the worst. The fact that Lynn was cheating on her husband? That it was JC, Justin's friend--his friend _and bandmate_\--betraying him? That Justin would have to deal with the fact that his momma had sex? Mommas didn't have sex. Not in a perfect world. God knows, Britney had to tell herself that Jamie Lynn hatched from an egg whenever the thought even crossed her mind.

Instead of looking around, she chewed at her nail some more.

"Oh, sweetheart," Lynn said when she came back into the room. She tapped Britney's hand away from her mouth. "Don't do that. You'll leave them with nothing to paint at all."

Britney stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"Sorry."

Lynn hugged her and ruffled her hair.

"Oh, don't be silly. You don't need to apologize."

It still felt incredible when Lynn hugged her and Britney thought the worst thing was probably her own curiosity about how those nails would feel on her back.

** _stockings_ **

Britney expected it to be easy to slip back into Harriet-the-Spy mode. She had, after all, a lot more experience with secrets now. She ought to be able to spot when someone else was hiding one. But she didn't take into account how insane her life was. She was so busy. She was spending every minute she possibly could with Justin and Lynn, but that was still only a day here, an hour there, and a weekend or two. And spying apparently needed to be a full-time job.

She also hadn't realized that it was one thing to know that someone had a secret and something else entirely to figure out what that secret was.

Lynn definitely had a secret. But Britney was too busy and too tired to figure it out. And it got harder and harder to believe that she should figure it out.

She spent a night with Justin.

Nothing happened, she just fell asleep on him and he was such a sweetheart, he didn't disturb her. She woke in the morning feeling content and well-rested, and she could hear his heartbeat. Something about that made her toes curl right up and she nuzzled against his chest a bit and smiled. For someone without breasts, he was surprising comfortable. She didn't want to get up. And then Justin started to rub her back and hum something quietly, and Britney thought she could stay there forever--as long as he didn't start beat-boxing. She was safe and warm and she thought this feeling was maybe love, like real love. Old, married-people love. And she remembered Justin's inner grandpa and kissed his chest, right over his heart, and giggled a little.

"What?" Justin said, still rubbing her back.

"I'll be your Vanna White," she said.

His hand stopped.

"What?"

"_Wheel of Fortune_," she explained.

"Yeah, I know who Vanna White is. But. What does she have to do with anything? I don't need my letters turned."

She couldn't stop laughing after that and the moment was lost.

Afterwards, it seemed that everyone thought they'd had sex. The guys all looked at her differently--except for Lance who was even more of a Southern gentleman than Justin was. Lance wouldn't think she was having sex unless she like did it right there in front of him. She wanted to slap the rest of them, though, and yell at them for thinking so poorly of her, for thinking she was like _that_. But getting upset would probably just make them even more sure it was true. Chris seemed the type who'd love to say something about the lady protesting too much.

Lynn didn't say anything, but she must have thought it as well. When Lynn hugged her now, she'd always kiss Britney's forehead or her temple. It was like she was family. Lynn called her "baby" a lot now, too. And sometimes when they were out shopping, Lynn would take her to look at sexy stuff. She'd never done that before.

Looking at sexy things with Lynn was kinda weird. It made Britney wonder if there was something wrong with her. What she had now with Justin was good. She didn't feel like it needed to change. But maybe she was supposed to want more. Maybe she should be having sex.

It was the shopping that convinced Britney that Lynn had a secret. She was up to something mysterious 'cause every once in a while, she would buy something that made no sense or she'd lie to a salesperson or she'd try to subtly hide a purchase from Britney. They were just odd little things, but Britney kept track of them in a mental list. Every so often, she'd sit and write the list down and try to put the pieces together. And then she'd carefully destroy the list because it was still Lynn's secret, and tearing up her little lists made Britney feel like she was doing something real to protect Lynn. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she could protect her a lot better if Lynn had confided in her in the first place.

The items on Britney's list were:

      (1) a short plaid skirt

Once when they were shopping, Lynn asked her to try on a few plaid skirts. Britney crinkled her nose at them, because plaid? Eh. Plaid wasn't pretty unless it was pink or yellow. These skirts were navy and gray, and brown and muddy green. But it wasn't a lot to ask, and if Lynn wanted her to? No problem.

She twirled around in front of the mirrors and modeled them for Lynn, but...

"Aren't they a little... Catholic School?" Britney asked.

"Hmm. Maybe." Lynn turned to the salesgirl and asked if they had any that were shorter.

Then Britney found a bitty hooded sweater that she fell in love with and she had to try on every color to see which looked best. She thought the skirts were forgotten. Except later? She saw one in Lynn's bag. Maybe it was supposed to be a gift for her? But Britney never saw it again.

      (2) a plain gold cross

There wasn't anything inherently suspicious about a cross, and if it would just crop up again somewhere, she could--no pun intended--cross it off her list.

It was a simple cross, but it was a little too big to seem like something Lynn would wear. Lynn had a cross already and it was delicate and tiny. And it wasn't blingy enough to be a gift for Justin. It didn't have diamond cuts or anything to give it the extra flash and sparkle he loved. Actually, it looked like something Lance would wear. That gave her an awful moment of thinking: "Oh my God, JC _and_ Lance?" But Britney always checked Lance's neck carefully and she thought she could lay that worry to rest.

      (3) an imaginary niece

Britney left a shop to step across the street for an iced peppermint nonfat latte. When she returned, Lynn was deep in discussion with one of the salesladies. They were talking about flutter sleeves and cuts of blouses and what would best flatter a girl with unusually broad shoulders.

That was just weird.

When they left, the lady wished Lynn "good luck with your niece, the poor dear" and another lady chimed in with "maybe the linebacker look will catch on." Britney looked at Lynn in confusion, but all she did was smile. It was kinda like one of Chris' smiles and really, what was up with that? Lynn wasn't the sort of person to lie for her own amusement.

      (4) day-of-the-week panties

Okay, maybe this one shouldn't be on the list. Maybe Lynn was wearing them. If she was, well... they weren't very age-appropriate, but they were pretty darn cute. Britney couldn't blame her. She'd bought a set, too.

With just those four items on the list, it was easy for Britney to tell herself that she was crazy and grasping at straws. The list was supposed to point to a passionate affair with JC or something equally dramatic. And it didn't. It was just random stuff indicating nothing.

But the fifth item finally gave her a clue.

      (5) white stockings

They went to a boutique that sold only socks. It went from perfectly innocent crew socks to stuff she was pretty sure was meant for sock fetishists--if there was such a thing. Britney had never seen anything quite like it.

Lynn was looking for white stockings. The clerk brought over a bunch of different kinds. Lynn frowned at the lace-topped ones and he took those away immediately. She pored over the others for a while and chatted with him about denier weight and opacity. Finally, she sighed.

"They're all rather Naughty Nurse, aren't they? Is there anything else? Something opaque? But not bulky."

"We do have something in an over-the-knee sock..."

The Naughty Nurse comment made everything fall into place. It was obvious. Lynn was assembling a costume.

She didn't know why Lynn was making a big secret out of it. Unless... maybe she felt silly. Maybe it was embarrassing for her. Lynn hadn't spent her life in costumes the way Britney and Justin had. At least that mystery was solved and there wasn't anything particularly traumatic about--

Wait.

What if the costume wasn't for Lynn? What if it was for Britney?

Oh, dear baby Jesus, that wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.

Britney was like ninety-three percent certain that she was in love with Justin. All she needed was a push and she'd fall. And, okay, truth time. She'd had a bit of a schoolgirl crush on his momma. Just a little one. But that was over. Well... it would be over. As soon as Britney got home, she'd clear out her Lynn ~~shrine~~ drawer. And then it would be totally over.

And it hadn't been like _that_. It hadn't been about Lynn. It had been about learning how to be the right girl for Justin. Yes, that was right. That was good. And the little voice in the back of her head could just quiet down. It didn't know what it was talking about.

She asked Justin about it the next time they were together.

And, before you ask, no. She didn't just blurt it out like: "I think your momma wants to dress me up like a kinky little schoolgirl. How do you feel about that?" It was still Lynn's secret and Britney would protect it. She'd protect Lynn and Justin both.

But when they were alone and Justin was touching her between her legs--she'd been letting him do that for a while now, as long as his pants and her panties stayed on--she looked down at his sweet, tangled curls and asked him.

"Do you think I should be sexier?"

He looked up from what he was doing.

"Um... Seriously?" He looked pointedly at her bared breasts. "No."

She smiled and wiggled her hips until he was touching her again. He bent low and mouthed at the bottom curve of one breast.

"God," she said. "Higher."

"Mmm..." He rubbed his face against her and she tugged at his curls. "I don't know. Maybe I like it here."

She tugged harder. He nuzzled her other breast.

"Do you have any more stupid questions?" he asked.

"Maybe... mmm... No. They're not stupid."

He propped himself up on his elbows and smiled down at her. His eyes were so blue...

"You better get 'em out of the way."

"Hmm?"

"Your questions," he said. "You want to get them out of the way? Before I distract you?"

He winked his cocky little thousands-of-screaming-girls wink at her. One-on-one, it was totally cheesy, but she couldn't complain 'cause she was the one who liked to initiate make-out sessions by going all Vanna White on him. Seriously, like: "Hey, baby, wanna buy me a vowel? I'll turn your letters for you." In their cheesiness, they were the perfect match for each other. She hoped he thought so, too.

"I could try to be sexier," she said. "I mean... don't you ever want me to... dress up or something?"

"I'm still kinda working on getting you naked."

She bopped him on the head.

"That's not--I mean like... costumes and stuff. You know. A nurse or cheerleader or a--"

He shook his head.

"You're all I ever wanted, you know. Just the way you are."

"Oh, that's so... Wait." She thwapped him again. "That's from your song."

"That doesn't make it less true."

She laughed.

"You are such a goober."

"Yeah?"

He grinned at her like he knew she had a secret thing for goobers, like... like...

Oh.

Wow.

She knew that look.

Justin was looking at her like she was the most amazing thing ever, like she was exciting and interesting, and hey, he'd said it, everything he'd ever wanted.

Wow.

No doubt about it, she loved him. And after they finished fooling around? She was so dragging his ass to an all-you-can-eat catfish buffet. 'Cause, you know? They might see Dale Earnhardt and Elvis.

** _pigtails_ **

When Nigel Dick brought her the treatment for the "...Baby One More Time" video, Britney knew it was a sign. The school in the original concept was a lot like the one in _Clueless_, but when Britney asked if they could do it like a sexy Catholic school instead, everyone agreed.

It was awesome.

She was so proud of herself. Britney loved Lynn just as much as she loved Justin, and now, she had a way to be Lynn's sexy schoolgirl without hurting anyone.

The first time she saw JC after the video's premiere, he grinned from ear-to-ear and picked her up and swung her around.

"Hey, Little Bit, congratulations! It's an amazing video."

She had to put a hand on his chest to regain her balance.

"Thanks, C..."

Wait a minute.

"No, seriously, babe. You have no idea--"

She knew that necklace.

"--how incredibly hot--"

She'd know that particular plain gold cross anywhere.

"--that video is. I mean--"

And JC's shoulders were really broad...

"--I really _felt_ it--"

Holy shit.

"--the dancing--"

Oh, God.

"--the costuming--"

Yikes!

How could Britney have been so totally right about the nature of Lynn's secret and still be so absolutely wrong?

"--It was the shit, you know?"

Britney shook her head.

"No, JC, I don't want to know."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." She kissed him on the cheek. "Sorry, I've got to go. Like right now."

...

Oh.

Wow.


End file.
